[ad_1]
Beirut – On Wednesday, the president of the Lebanese Republic, Michel Aoun, led the way to the formation of a government of specialists, on the eve of binding parliamentary consultations that are expected to lead to the appointment of the leader of the Future Movement, Saad Hariri, to form a new government.
The Lebanese president expressed his determination to refuse to resign from his post despite the state of collapse that Lebanon is experiencing at all levels. Political sources revealed that Aoun wanted to postpone the consultations again in hopes of reaching a broader consensus, but his efforts were unsuccessful.
Parliamentary consultations were supposed to take place last week, but were postponed until Thursday in the absence of an agreement to change Hariri’s name to the post of prime minister due to strong opposition from the Free Patriotic Movement led by the son-in-law of Aoun, Gebran Bassil, and the Lebanese Forces Party.
Sources believed that by imposing parliament, albeit with a slight majority, Saad Hariri was assigned a personal defeat for the President of the Republic. And he hoped that it would respond to the mandate, if it was fulfilled, to prevent the former prime minister from forming a government through the powers he possesses as president of the republic.
He explained that Aoun would insist in this case on the participation of the movement that he represents, headed by Gebran Bassil, in any government formed by Saad Hariri. These sources believed that this means, one way or another, that Saad Hariri will not be able to form a government that undertakes the necessary reforms that ensure Lebanon’s access to help from the International Monetary Fund.
On Wednesday, the Lebanese president took the head of the Future Movement, without naming him, responsible for fighting corruption and launching the reform workshop, accusing the political forces of provoking the crisis that plagues the country.
Hariri had put himself a few days ago as a “presidential candidate” for the position, after having expressed reservations in the past, and presented a set of conditions, such as forming a government of specialists for a period of six months away from the parties that they would undertake the reforms demanded by the international community.
Hariri previously headed the government that was forced to resign more than a year ago under pressure from the street, who rose up against the entire political class and demanded his departure under the slogan “Everyone means everyone.”
In a speech broadcast by some television stations from the Presidential Palace, Aoun addressed the deputies saying: “I hope you think carefully about the effects of the mandate on authorship and on reform projects and international rescue initiatives, because the current deteriorating situation cannot continue after today. Piling up and increasing the burdens on the shoulders of the citizens ”, in a message that the issue of naming Hariri will not be easy.
He added: “Today I am required to commission and then participate in writing, in accordance with the provisions of the constitution. Will the person responsible for commissioning and authorizing commit to addressing the sites of corruption and launching the reform workshop?”
Most of the deputies of the Sunni sect of Hariri and other representatives announced that they would appoint him. Hezbollah has not announced its position on the appointment of Hariri, but political analysts say it is satisfied with appointing him, as evidenced by the announcement of its most prominent ally, the Amal Movement led by Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, supporting Hariri to head the government.
On October 17, 2019, unprecedented popular demonstrations took place in Lebanon that lasted for months and led to the Hariri government to resign after weeks. In their “revolution,” the Lebanese blamed political officials who have ruled Lebanon for decades for economic and living deterioration due to rampant corruption, compromise, negligence, and the exploitation of influence.
On January 15, 2020, a government of specialists headed by Hassan Diab took power for seven months, but was unable to launch any reform due to the control of political forces.
In August, French President Emmanuel Macron intervened to help resolve the crisis, visiting Lebanon for the first time and then a second time on September 1. The second visit culminated in the announcement of an initiative that said that all political forces had agreed and that it provided for the formation of a government that would undertake reforms according to a specific program, in exchange for financial assistance from the international community.
But the political forces failed to translate their promises and Ambassador Mustafa Adib, who was appointed to form the government, failed to form the government due to political divisions.
After Adib’s apology, Macron granted, on September 27, a new deadline for the political forces of “four to six weeks” to form a government, accusing the political class of “collective treason.”
It seems clear that the return of Hariri to the head of the government is part of the French initiative.
When announcing his candidacy for the post of prime minister, Hariri affirmed that the matter falls within the principles of the French initiative.
On Wednesday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian called on Lebanon to speed up the formation of a new government on the eve of the consultations. “The later we arrive, the more the ship sinks,” Le Drian told the French Senate foreign affairs committee. If Lebanon does not implement the reforms that must be undertaken, the country itself is in danger of collapse. “
Lebanon is facing a suffocating financial crisis and the international community refuses to support it unless it undertakes the necessary reforms.
